Abortion Alert from New Brunswick

Wednesday, July 28 2010
Few of us feel as strongly about abortion as those who belong to groups that oppose choice. We do not dedicate our life or our vote to one cause. We are concerned about many issues. That does not make our viewpoint less important, but it does make it more invisible. We invite you to contact your elected official.
More and more N.B. women refuse to be intimidated or silenced on this issue; they recognize that this is about rights, freedoms and the separation of church and state.

Find the addresses for Letters to the editor : www1.gnb.ca/cnb/medialist/index-e.asp

The provincial government policy on abortion in New Brunswick currently places stiff conditions to access to medicare-funded abortion. As a result:

most abortions are performed in the private Morgentaler clinic for a steep fee that women would not pay if they had access to publicly funded abortions.

women and girls are giving birth to unwanted children and trying to raise them in hardship conditions, sometimes in dysfunctional or violent homes, often in poverty.

The provincial policy states that unless two physicians certify in writing that an abortion is medically required and it is performed by a specialist (not a general physician) in a hospital, it is not covered by medicare. That policy contravenes the federal health law and likely the Supreme Court of Canada decision on abortion, but because it has not been challenged in court, it stands.

That policy is not under review at this time. It could happen:

If more New Brunswickers speak to their MLAs, the Minister of Health or the Premier about the topic.

When a court decision strikes it down.

When a government takes a leadership stand to put its reproductive health policy in order.

If health professionals and their associations speak up about how the current restrictions are medically unnecessary.

When citizens, media and politicians become less intimidated by those who try to make this an issue of good and evil, and we recognize instead that this is about rights, freedoms, the separation of church and state, and governments not making themselves heaven's gatekeeper.